


Hold & Release

by Tabata



Series: Leoverse [33]
Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-24
Updated: 2016-02-24
Packaged: 2018-05-23 01:47:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6100789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tabata/pseuds/Tabata
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leo's dying to see Cody. Blaine knows, and he makes it possible</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hold & Release

**Author's Note:**

> **WARNING:** This story is a **what if** from the original 'verse. In the canon course of events **this has never happened**.

Leo has been counting the days, the hours and the minutes until this week end, which is proof enough of how serious the situation is and how really essential these extreme measures were. In fact, if he had some common sense left in him, he would have told his husband that maybe it is too soon, that being so eager to see Cody could be a problem. But he didn't say anything because he's restless, and he knows that he will just explode – literally explode, his sense of reality is completely messed up at this point – if they postpone this meeting even for just another week. 

Blaine didn't notice how restless he is. Or maybe he did, and that's exactly why he agreed that enough time had passed to have Cody and Vince over for the week end. Blaine is the most understanding between the two husbands. Leo didn't exactly stop to think why – it was a miracle in his eyes to be able to have Cody in some way and not lose Blaine – but he likes to think that it's because Blaine knows him very well, and he has no doubt that, after all they went through, Leo's longing for Cody doesn't diminish in any way the undying love he feels for him. But the truth is, this situation is their kind of messed up, Blaine and Leo's. This is why Blaine got angry but didn't freak out when he found out about Leo's affair with Cody, while Vince was ready to divorce right there and then.

Vince is a nice guy with strong values and a very common idea of what relationships and marriages should look like. He doesn't share any of their backgrounds, not even Cody's, who even taking Leo's craziness out of the picture, has William to account for. He had a very good, drama-free life before he met any of them. He can't understand that someone made out with his husband and sift through every possible past trauma suffered by all the parts involved before adjusting his reaction to the news in light of the fact that nobody is really cheating in the strict sense of the word. Vince can only consider the facts – like any other normal person – and react consequently. Cody had sex with Leo several times behind his back. Cody cheated on him. He was mad. If anything, in his head there was nothing to consider. It was all really simple.

But it's really not. 

There's nothing and nobody Leo loves more than Blaine. Blaine is his entire world, and not just in terms of the family they built together. Blaine is this absolute in his life, this certainty that makes up the structure of his life itself. All the time he spent hating him in the past never denied Blaine's status in his head. That was what broke Leo, because the two things were fighting against each other. Still, not even that kind of savage hate could do anything against his feelings for Blaine. Whatever there is between him and Cody, however deep and demanding, can't stand a chance. 

So, if he's happy with Blaine and has no desire to spite him, if he knows that this is wrong, he should be able to stop himself from making a mess. But the last few months proved that it's impossible. What draws him to Cody is only partially lust, but most of all is a sense of longing, a need of being with him that comes from something deep inside of him that he doesn't want to access to – the knowledge that they were _something_ together. He doesn't know how much of this Blaine knows or understands, or how he managed to explain it to Vince and talk him out of leaving Cody for good, but sometimes Leo thinks about it and can't help but laugh as he imagines Vince's face.

“What are you laughing at?” Blaine asks, stopping on his way to the laundry, a big basket of clothes in his hands.

“Nothing,” Leo answers. Then he remembers the no-lies policy of the house and sighs. “I was just trying to image Vince's face when you tried to explain everything to him.”

Blaine frowns, which is never a good sign. Luckily, the basket makes him less threatening. “There's nothing funny about it, and you should know better,” he says. “Don't make me regret having agreed on this week end.”

Leo is about to apologize, but the sudden ring of the doorbell makes him literally jump on the spot. He's so obviously tense that the whole scene is hysterical, and even Blaine can't help but snort. “Go get the door,” he says, continuing on his way to the laundry. “I'm going to be there in a minute.”

Leo waits for a moment in front of the door. His heart is pounding in his chest and his hands are sweaty. He hasn't been this nervous in his life since... he doesn't even remember. When he opens the door with the biggest smile he could summon from the pit where his nerves are twisting and coiling like snakes, Vince's powerful figure blocks out the sun. “Where is Blaine?” He asks, hinting that he believes him alone in the house. Clearly, he doesn't laugh much when he thinks back on Blaine's explanation.

“He's loading the washing machine,” Leo's answers. “He's going to be here soon. Please, come in.”

Vince doesn't seem very convinced, or he's really waiting for the right excuse to call it a failure and go back home with Cody, but he finally takes a step inside. His shadow retreating leaves Leo's line of sight clear, and when his eyes land on Cody, he's not so sure he'll be able to tear them away from him.

“Hi,” Cody says, briefly raising his hand. His voice, that Leo wasn't even allowed to hear through the phone, is softer and sweeter than he remembers, which makes the prospect of the two days that await them even harder. 

“Hi,” Leo says back. They're a few feet apart, and he has to hold tight onto the door's handle to give himself something to do. Cody is extremely cute, despite being obviously dressed to be as covered as possible in a pair of black skinny jeans and a sweater so big that it almost gets to his knees. Leo feels the urge to cover the distance between them and do something, but he doesn't move. He sees Cody holding his breath for a moment, half in fear and half in expectation.

“Please, come in.” Leo would like to remain in the hall with him a little longer, but someone would eventually come to pick them up, and he wants to avoid that. As if free from a spell, Cody takes a step forward and, as he passes by him, releases that breath for both of them.

*

As they all sit in the living room, the air is so tense Leo feels like he can't even breath.

They look like one of those realist paintings on Adam's text books, nervous-faced and rigid, plunged in semi-darkness. Leo and Blaine sit on one of the couches, Vince and Cody on the other, between them a coffee table that was buried under kids books, colors and toys up to two hours ago. Then, Blaine made everything disappear. With the exception of their room, the house is not bearing any sign of the twins right now. And it's the same with Timmy. It's almost like they had never been here.

“Where are the kids?” Vince asks, breaking the silence. But his words do nothing to help the mood. By the way he's speaking, he seems to hint that they are trying to turn this week end into the perfect stage for Leo and Cody to repeat their show, by eliminating anything that would prevent them from doing anything.

“Timmy took his siblings to visit Adam and Annie at their lake house in St. Marys,” Blaine, answers. He either was expecting the question or he's really good at showing himself calm. “We thought it would be better if they weren't here. The situation requires a delicate handling, don't you think?”

Leo looks over to Cody, who is sitting with his hands on his knees, half covered by the long sleeves of his sweater. He's so tense that, no doubts, his nails are digging into his palms. Leo wants nothing more than get closer to him and open his hands gently, stopping him from hurting himself.

“I think there is no situation at all,” Vince says, and his voice is suddenly louder. Leo looks up and he notices that he's frowning at him because he was looking at Cody.

Leo sighs. “Vince, coming here to ignore the elephant in the room is pointless,” he says, trying to sound as well intentioned as e can. “Having the kids here would have been awkward.”

“Why? Do you plan to do something?”

Leo sighs again. “No, but this mood would not go unnoticed, and including my seventeen years old son in the discussion is the last thing we need,” he says.

“I think we can start by stating your rules again,” Blaine butts in, looking at all of them. Once again, he's the one person who has to act like an adult because nobody else does. 

The rules were his idea. Vince wasn't okay with them at all – honestly nobody would have been except them – but he had to give in when faced with the fact that there was no other way to proceed, unless he really wanted a divorce, something he had ruled out at that point.

The rules had been necessary the moment Leo and Cody lost control of themselves and their behavior. One simple kiss turned to making out, and that turned to them having sex, until what had been a series of mistakes became a routine and they started seeing each other in cheap motels, like in a bad movie.

Blaine found out and he was really angry, of course, but he also realized that ordering Leo to stop seeing Cody was not going to solve the problem. It was either he left Leo for good or he accepted the fact that a part of him wanted Cody so badly that he would go a great length to have him, no matter what. And that is what he told to Vince as well. So, since he didn't want to lose his husband, he decided to allow Leo and Cody a few things, to give them an outlet, so to speak, that would hopefully prevent them to do more. 

“You can kiss,” Blaine explains, his voice toneless. “But no touching is allowed under the belt or under your clothes.”

Leo listens to him, but he looks at Cody. He just wants to look at him, but Vince's annoyance is an added value. Leo knows he shouldn't be so defiant with him, but Vince is the main obstacle to all this – whatever it is – and he has never worked well with them. Cody keeps looking down, but it's okay. Leo could die of longing just watching his cheeks turn that perfect shade of pink, and the way he seems even smaller now, all curled up in himself.

Leo knows that he would like to hide in his room, that the stress of the situation is crashing him. His whole body is so visibly tense that he'll probably fall asleep in an hour just for the tiredness of it all. And Leo also knows that he could calm him with just one kiss. He remembers all the million times he did it, the way Cody's lips would give in under his, and after a moment of hesitation, Cody's body would relax in his arms too. Cody has always been a matter of right buttons to push.

“You can't be alone more than twenty minutes,” Blaine continues. They are just a few rules, but they are all horrible. 

Leo can work with a limited time. He hates it, but he can work with it. A little – sanctioned, undisturbed – time alone is better than no time whatsoever. But the ticking time makes Cody skittish like a tiny bunny. And despite Leo loves how he can make him shiver for him with a simple touch of his fingers in those situations, he hates to see him so nervous and scared. But he will convince him that their time alone really belongs to them and them alone.

“And you can make out,” Blaine says. “But only twice every time you are together and inside the time limit.”

Cody closes his eyes, embarrassed. Leo keeps looking at him, and he knows Cody feels the weight of his look, and the warmth of his longing. You know what I will do to you before you leave this house. They give us boundaries, and I won't push them, but I'll do everything I'm allowed to do inside them. Everything. He puts all these thoughts in his eyes, and when Cody looks up, he reads them and looks away again.  
“The thing you are not allowed to do, under any circumstances, is having sex,” Blaine concludes. “And I want to remind you that these rules are something we granted you, not something we owed you. You should not make us regret that.”

“I think it's late for that,” Vince grunts, and then stands up, heading for the wet bar. “I need to drink something.”

The tension doesn't decrease much, but once that the rules are out of the way and this madness has begun, they can all let go the breath they were holding.

*

In the middle of the night the house is incredibly quiet without the children. Leo can hear the difference as he goes downstairs for a glass of water. Even in their sleep, the twins make all kinds of tiny sounds. Logan's low snoring, Harper's regular breathing. Their little whine when they are startled in their sleep. Leo learned to read their sounds to know exactly when he needs to get out of bed and when he can stay put. Now he can't hear nothing, except the low buzzing of the fridge that seems to call him as he climbs down the last steps.

But he stops. Among the many shadows in the living room, one looks very familiar. He looks at it long enough to make out Cody's body on the couch, and he smiles. “Cody?” He whispers. He didn't come to find him, because he didn't think Vince would let him leave the room, but now that he has found him here, his heart is beating faster.

Cody jumps a little, clearly he wasn't expecting him. He was hoping he would come – as if called by something voiceless – but that's another matter. “I couldn't sleep,” he says. He sounds apologizing, and Leo smiles.

“And you were hungry,” Leo comments, nodding at the tall glass of milk and the plate of cookies in his lap. Cody turns pleasantly pink again.

“I'm sorry,” Cody says. “I know I should have asked first.”

“To whom?” Leo asks. His eyes follow the lines of Cody's body, his own different kind of hunger showing shamelessly in the way he looks at him. “I would have loved for you to come to me in my bedroom to ask me anything you wanted, but it wouldn't have been practical.”

Cody blushes a little more. “Leo, don't.”

“What? I'm not breaking any rules,” Leo chuckles. He leans in, slowly enough to let Cody back off if he wants, but knowing that he won't. He rests his forehead against Cody's and enjoys the little shiver that runs through him as he closes his eyes and the forces himself to open them again to look at Leo. “I'm just talking.”

Cody smiles, and it's a sweet, knowing smile that speaks of how much they know each other, despite the years they missed. Or maybe because of them. There is a big chunk of their lives they don't know and they can ignore. They never happened. In other words, they are back to who they were through and through. “You never just talk,” Cody says.

“You never just listen.” 

Cody chuckles, his lips curve at the edges and Leo simply has to kiss him. It's just a tiny kiss, almost a peck, hardly satisfying, but enough to be soothing for both of them. It's got the strength to break the ice surface under which they were hiding. “I missed you,” Cody says, and his voice is warmer and firmer, as if he finally had the courage to say what he was diligently bottling up. He doesn't move away, and so he speaks against Leo's lips, brushing them with every little breath.  
“I missed you too,” Leo answers, and he's itching to do more. He has always been impatient and restraining himself is torture. For someone like him, who needs to embrace and touch and kiss and lick and own, a brush of fingertips is nothing, and he can't even do that. He can hold Cody's face in his hands, yes, and touch his neck, but he knows it wouldn't be enough and so he keeps his hands still, because if he moves, God, if he moves...

Cody gives up before he does, though. His whole body is strained in the effort of not moving, of letting only their lips just barely touch when they happen to talk, and then he seems to melt, lose his strength to keep himself up, stumbles forward.

Leo can almost feel that kiss, but it never happens.

Cody lets out a little whine of frustration as he knocks his plate in moving. The wave of fear and frustration that washes over him is too overwhelming. “I don't know if I can get through this, Leo.”

He looks down but Leo has already grabbed the glass before the milk was spilled.

Cody looks up again and Leo is smiling. A few months ago they broke a glass, and that looked like a terrifying omen. This time Leo was ready to catch it before he could get broken, and he's now holding it in both his hands. Safe and sound. “Then, I'll get us both through it.”


End file.
